New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-09
SUPPLEMENT.
PAGES 9 TO IL.
THE COLIN CAMPBELL CASE
LADY COLIN AND SOME OF THE LAWYERS

AS have tciegraphed thrico I" w" g.
AZ elitome of this trial, and hnally oo-u"s az"
the verdict summary opinion Oh 'ho ""oio ".r0
Tor I don't propose to enlarge these accounts eA
aor, nth refcrenoe to one or two points. The two
central figures in this drama are OF course hoiU
Colin and Lady Colin Campbell, and the latter Ii
untitled To as much attention to say the leas'' az
the former to whom my last letter was de'o'eo
I saw both OF them in the w1tness-poN uhue'
rrossexaminatiou, and thought both Oh Vi'cnl Ia
teresting studies.
II is to be said Of Lady Colin that for some
time she was a notable figure In society Nooou'
who SAW her in a London drawing room during the
FIRST season OF two after her marriage Will pe ikeN
TO forget that brilliant vision. 10 use phrase
current here Lady Colin put out almost every
body else She had the advantage OF stature
somewhat above the average but this you per
cciycd only when she was brought into direct
comparison with other women Standing ny heN
self her d,lrc was such that the impression on the
bebo,der WAS not OF tallness hut Of harmony and
perfect PROMOTION The young Englishman OF the
period has a habit Of discussing women which is
pcrhaps from one point OF view, scientific, ana is
at any rate an endeavor TO express actual facts
In plain words. lie would say of Lady Colin
that she was the best made woman in the room
and that-it is still the young Englishman OF the
perfod who speaks-she turned herself out en-
tremely well
She quite understood the style OF dress which
suited her beauty In America you might take
this for granted and ,allcge IL with confidence
of any American belle. Here. perhaps 1t requires
Though less frequently than of old-to be
asserted explicitly. There could be no dispute
about the matter in Lady Colin's case Attired
in the strictest conformity to the prevailing fash
Ion her apparel had nevertheless something OF the
tndi uybi eIo
wear q fashionable ball gown which showed much
OF the shapcliness Of beautiful shoulders and arms
with n train that stretched half across the room
and vet look like n living Diane la chasseresse She
had the freedom and ltheness Of movement which
belonged tn the other goddess. which limited of the
hillside and the heather softcncd nevertheless 10
the sedater pace Of the salon. But nothing could
subdue or obscure tho animation Of her manner.
The head and face set on this figure were not
less remarkable. ! attempt no inventory OF feA-
lures The head is classic in its grace and firm
ness OF outline. The face Is that OF such Il
brunette as you more often see elsewhere than in
This island Lady Colin, to be sure. is Irish an(
not English but should rather have guessed hcl
to be Spanish or perhaps Provencale; at any rate
from some softer and moro southern cline
than this.
There are the most charming reffs in these
masses Of hair. The skin bushes with crimson
that sets on to perfection the transparency Of
its pale olive. and the lustre Of daik(eyes OF
WHICH Mrs Browning's question might be asked ::
hut answered otherwise. II were to hunt for an
adjective adequate to all this opulencc of beauty
l should call it magnificent
Something came out in the course Of the trial
about ! ady Collins literary accomplishments. Her
Scotch husbands Scotch counsel seemed disposed
20 sneer at them They are various. and among
them is that Of writing and speaking English
She has written much and has a style In these
days quality more than almost any other
I mentioned mt the time Of its appearance hcr
delightful little treatise fish. to which She
gave the title "A Book Of the Running Brooks.
know nothing and nothing about fish except
In their cooked state, but l read this volume
through for the pleasure Of reading 1t, for the
charm OF It's style and lightncss Of touch and
pretty handling-none Of them English character
stics. She has long contributed to The Saiur
day Review and 10 other periodicals.. Those who
knew her would have said Mt any time that there
were to be met in London few women whose cu
ture and intellectual activities and natural gift
were greater than those of Lady Colin Campbell
That the lawyers who were trying TO prove her
husbands accusations against her should ridicule
these things natural. Is a woman gifted
the woman likely to be the heroine of the horrible
story they had to tell
Mr.. lockwood selected to cross examinc
Lady Colin and the choice was. from their point
of view. judicious. Mr. Finlay. Lord Collins
leading counsel had shown too much heat and
bitterness for task that required dcxtcrity and
Nen delicacy. Delicacy. indeed. Is far from
bein, the word which describes Mr Lockwood's
method but II he bitter he had the art.
which Mr.. Fin lay dsdaned to practise OF con
eealng it under mask of genialty. He has
humor which runs ut times into cOarseness. pcnc-
traton, blulr way with him that incauti0us
witnesses might suppose TO imply kindness Of pur
pose. lie approaches his end from point always
remote and never direct line He comes. ID
Il were round a corner. and suddenly, and there
Is nothing TO indicate what has been goin, on in
his mind Just before he looks so blandly into the
face Of the subject on whom he Is operating and
puts entan2ling question On the whole
thought Mr. Lockwood one OF the most dangerous
examining counsel / had ever listened 10,
and one Of the most peridious; a word which
don't at all use as implying any moral derugation
but a. you would use it Of a North American
Indian on the path. Ills business is TO get
The scalp Of his enemy, and all is fair in war
Mr. lockwood, however, destined to be
disappointed Of this coveted trophy For nearly
three hours his tomahawk played about the head
OF Lady Colin. You you saw the CLINT Of the
steel and heard the whiz OF the weapon, and
looked to see what had happened TO the black
trcsscs which covered that threatened head. But
he never touched her. She walked into none OF
The traps which this astute lawyer laid for her.
She could neither be hurried nor startled nor
caJoled She never lost her temper failed to
inst where a particular question was aimed and
just how it should be met Yet the
impression she made on the jury and
OH the public certainly never
that Of q witness fencing with counsel and with
the facts. Lady Coins manner was simplicity
and sincerity itself. She was. so far as we out
siccrs could Judge, witness who had nothing to
keep back and no object in Withholding the whole
truth Lord Colin. / said the other day.
seemed to have thought out his case. The effect